USA > Minnesota > Brown County > History of Brown County, Minnesota: Its People, Industries and Institutions (Volume 1) > Part 16
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"It is sad to contemplate that which seems to be estab- lished now; that the wrath of the Indians was aroused by wrongful acts of the whites themselves, and being unjustly treated the savage instinct of the Sioux asserted itself and urged them to those terrible deeds of violence. If it is true that the unscrupulous agents of the government and those in league with them, wilfully defrauded the trustful In- dians, then they even in their vaunted state of civilization, were more guilty than the simple savages, for their acts of perfidy only brought to life an inborn lust to kill and de- stroy, which once aroused knows no bounds."
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THE MONUMENT.
This memorial tablet consists of a solid concrete shaft six feet high, by three feet square at the base and tapering to its top. At the bottom of this block the soil is near to that where flowed the innocent blood of the massacred. A large bronze tablet, attached to and imbedded into the ce- ment work, bears the impressive inscriptions. This tablet faces the public highway and contains the names of the fifty-three who were killed by the Indians. A part of the inscription reads as follows:
"This tablet was erected by the Junior Pioneers in memory of the following men, women and children of the township of Milford who were massacred by the Indians during the Indian outbreak in 1862."
Then follow the names, and it is the ardent wish of the pioneers and their children and children's children, that the names be here printed in the permanent annals of this county, that generations yet unborn may read of their un- timely deaths :
"John Martin Fink, Monika Fink, his wife; Max Fink, his son; Carl Merkle, his grandson. Florian Hartman. John Baptiste Zettel, Barbara Zettel, his wife; Elizabeth Zettel, their daughter. Max Zeller, Lucretia, his wife; John, their son; Monika, their daughter; Cecilia, their daughter; Conrad and Martin, their sons. Anton Messmer, Mary Ann, his wife; Joseph, their son. Martin, Anton and Mary Hen- kle, children of Anton Henkle. Frank Massapust, Mary Ann, his wife; Mary and Julia, their children; Frank, their grandson. John Rohner, Barbara, his wife, and one child.
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Sebastian May, Barbara, his wife; Henry and Bertha, their children. Henry Heyers, Dorothea Heyers, his wife; Carl, John and Joachim, their sons. Mrs. Joseph Stocker. Bene- dict Drezler, Frank, his son. Christ Haag, Adolph Schil- ling, John Keck, Mrs. Brigitta Pelzel, Fred Guth, Joseph Emmerich. George Roesser, Barbara, his wife. Theresia Eggensdoefer."
AS VIEWED BY BISHOP WHIPPLE.
Bishop Whipple, that great and spotless character of the Episcopal church in Minnesota, wrote concerning the crimes and causes connected with the massacre as follows: "There is not a man in America, who ever gave' an hour's reflection to the subject, who does not know that our Indian system is an organized system of robbery, and has been for years a disgrace to the nation. It has left savage men without governmental control; it has looked on uncon- cerned at every crime against the laws of God and man; it has fostered savage life by wasting thousands of dollars in the purchase of tomahawks, paint, beads and scalping knives; it has fostered a system of trade which robbed the thrifty and virtuous to pay the debts of the indolent and vicious; it has squandered the funds for civilization and schools and has connived at theft; it has winked at murder, and at last, after dragging the savage down to a brutishness unknown to his fathers, it has brought a harvest of blood to our own door."
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REMINISCENCES OF THE INDIAN WAR OF 1862.
By Frederick Fritsche.
[These reminiscences were published in the New Ulm News in September, 1909. At the time of the massacre Mr. Fritsche resided near Lafayette, Nicollet county, and took part in that never-to-be-forgotten struggle with the savage Sioux. He now resides in New Ulm, advanced in years, but still possessed of all of his faculties.]
On the 18th of August, 1862, when we were stacking grain on the farm in Lafayette, the rumor came that the Sioux Indians had broken their peace and were killing all the white people they could get hold of. As I had a good deal of the time for seven years in Minnesota been among those Indians and had the impression that they were good people, I did not believe that they would do that; so I did not pay any attention to such rumors. But the same even- ing after dark, Athanasius Henle and Alois Palmer passed our place headed for New Ulm with a wagon-load of wounded and murdered children, which of course convinced me that there was a general uprising of the Indians. Mr. Henle and Mr. Palmer were so kind as to take my wife and baby along, and I followed them later in the night to New Ulm. At New Ulm a great many killed and wounded people had been brought in there and there was much excitement. People were preparing ammunition, fixing up all kinds of arms, building stacked breast-works, and preparing for war generally. Tuesday morning, August 19, all able- bodied men organized into companies. We farmers from the Nicollet county side organized the Lafayette company. Fidel Diepolder was elected lieutenant and F. Fritsche and
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Mathias Lump were chosen corporals of the company. Farmers from all directions were coming into New Ulm, as the news of the uprising of the Indians had spread all over the country. Nothing unusual happened in the forenoon of the 19th of August. People someway felt tired already, laying around and doing nothing, and some of the farmers who had left their places the night before in great haste made up their minds to go back again and look after stock, etc. Some eight or ten from up the Cottonwood river, toward Leavenworth, started out with one or two-horse teams, as some people had an idea that the Indians would not attack New Ulm at all. But early in the afternoon we found that we were badly mistaken. The Indians unex- pectedly attacked the town. When the firing began great confusion of the people took place. Instead of women and children staying inside of the houses, a great many came out on the street, looking and crying for their relatives. The first one killed was a twelve-year-old girl, the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Pauli. Shortly before some Indians had been seen about one mile south of town, chasing some farm- ers. At once Captain Nix, who was in command of all the forces, detailed a party of twelve or fifteen men to go in that direction. But when they got there the Indians were gone. In the meantime, the Indians attacked New Ulm, and so these men returned double-quick to town. They had hardly managed to get through the Indian fire line when they had one man killed and a few were slightly wounded before they got into town.
In a very short time New Ulm was surrounded by the red devils and the bullets came in from all directions, but most of the shooting was too high. However, no objection
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to that was made on our side. After a couple of hours of fighting we felt satisfied that we were the masters of the situation; at least we thought so. But just then came the trying time-the cry of "fire!" The red-skins had begun to fire the town. Four houses were on fire at once, on the corner of Broadway and North Third streets. They were the houses of Fred Rehfeld, P. Kropper and Steinhauser on fire. Not far from there toward the center of the town, houses were filled up with women, children and old people. The situation looked hopelessly dangerous. But at the critical time came up John Hauensetin, Charles Wagner and August Hellmann, with the cry, "Come on, boys." Ju- lius Guetling, John Peller, August Riemer, F. Fritsche and August Westphal followed. A party of eight men only started toward the burning buildings.
The Indians had a strong position near the fires. Up along the hill on the west side of New Ulm, on what is now State street, a short distance south of the Methodist church, the Indians had posted themselves behind a small hill, so we could hardly see any of them. From there on our left side and in front of us they opened a murderous fire on our few men. At the same time a detachment of John Bellm's company were in possession of the Schalk building, now the Buenger block on Minnesota street, and they opened fire on the Indians, which helped to check their advance toward the center of the town. This prevented their firing any more buildings in that locality. Great danger was evident at that time, as the wind was blowing toward the center of the town. We lost four men out of eight by that attack. We had one killed and three wounded. August Riemer,
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killed; Julius Guetling, John Peller and August Westphal, wounded. The Indians kept up a lively fire from the hill on the west, so Captain Jacob Nix ordered a few men to take possession of the Forster building on Broadway, and they kept the Indians in check from that direction. While all this fighting was going on, black clouds came up from the west and northwest, and in a short time a thunder shower broke loose, which sounded just as though artillery from heaven had mixed in with our firing. Then it com- menced to rain and the water poured down in streams. As the heavy rain soaked buildings, hay stacks and all else with water, the Indians ceased setting fires to the buildings, am- munition got wet, and firing stopped on both sides. The In- dians gradually disappeared toward the west, which gave us a long-needed rest. But soon afterward firing was heard from the west and a few minutes later a horse team dashed down the hill without a driver, which was soon followed with the news that eight or ten men had been killed about a mile west of town, while coming back from a patrolling ex- pedition. There was a party of men sent to the bloody scene, and the dead and wounded were brought to town. When all this excitement was over we calculated to look for our dear ones, good news came from St. Peter. About ten or twelve courageous mounted men came from there to the assistance of New Ulm, and promised that some more would come as soon as possible. Certainly these men were greeted with warm cheers. They were given quarters for their animals, and a good supper provided for them-the best that could be done under the circumstances. But sorry to say that some of them went back to St. Peter that night.
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NERVOUS PICKETS.
When getting dark I was called upon to do picket duty along State street, on the hill west of town. Being rather thinly clad and wet from the rain, I felt cold, for it was a cool, damp night, and as I did not have any supper in the evening, it made it very disagreeable to stay there until morning. By daybreak we noticed some moving objects at a distance west of us, but it was too dark yet to plainly see what they were. So we kept watching carefully, and by and by the objects came toward us, very slowly though. The men to my right were getting excited, and one of them spoke out rather too plainly, "Indians," when they at once ran into town. As the supposed Indians came near enough to be seen plainly, they proved to be a herd of cattle. Those men who left their places were all strangers to us. On my left side were some brave men from Cottonwood township. I remember Theodore Reim as one of them, and as we had been in the fight the day before were not quite so easily scared.
Wednesday, August 20, 1862, Charles E. Flandrau was put in command of all the forces. During the night help had come in from different places. One company from St. Peter, Capt. Charles E. Flandrau; one company from Man- kato, Captain Bierbauer; and later in the day came two companies from LeSueur, one under Capt. E. C. Saunders. Capt. Jacob Nix was considering to send a letter up to Ft. Ridgely to Sergeant Jones, asking for some pieces of artil- lery and ammunition. But the question was who should go that eighteen miles, and most likely with Indians all around. The right man was already on hand. It was
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Xavier Zollner, then a young man, who having heard the conversation, came up and said he would go if given a good horse. He got the horse and letter and off he went. He reached Ft. Ridgely safe and sound, and although he had seen Indians at different places on his way, his good horse got him through. After he got inside the fort the Indians surrounded it. He took part in the fight there and the next day he came back to New Ulm, bringing an answer from Sergeant Jones that the artillery would be furnished if there were men to take it through. Xavier Zollner is now over seventy years old, and is living on his nice farm in West Newton, near St. George, Nicollet county. He is hale and hearty yet.
During the fight on Tuesday, August 19, good service was done by the rifle section of sharp-shooters of the Turner society. These men had good rifles and made effective use of them. Many other men also did good work. In fact everybody I noticed did their duty the best they could. On Thursday and Friday, the 21st and 22d of August, we were patroling the Nicollet county side of the river, to look after helpless or wounded people, and in the evenings reported our doings and observations to Commander Flandrau. We did not see any Indians, nor did we find any traces of them. But Saturday morning the 23rd, smoke and fires could be seen from New Ulm in different directions in the country. Farm buildings were being burned, a sure sign that the Indians were coming nearer. Another attack was expected. It looked as though these fires were the signals for them, as they were kept up nearly alike and were advancing at about the same speed on both sides of the Minnesota river toward New Ulm.
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On Saturday morning, to our surprise, the Lafayette company was ordered to join Capt. William Huey's com- pany of St. Peter, to march to the Nicollet county side of the river, and at the same time protect the ferry near the Globe Mills. Of the Lafayette company most of the men were on picket duty, so we were only about nine or ten men to join Captain Huey's company. We followed in disgust, especially as our families and loved ones were all in New Ulm, and an attack was feared. We crossed the river on the ferry, marched across the bottom land to the bluffs, on the Nicollet county side. We kept on going north about a distance of two miles from New Ulm in the neighborhood of August Rutenberg's and Adolph Schilling's farms. There we saw seven Indians on horseback going toward Henry Wellner's place. A few of Captain Huey's men unexpectedly to us, fired at these Indians, more than one- half of a mile off. Then the Indians noticed us; they stopped, and before our eyes they set fire to Mr. Wellner's hay stacks and buildings. After the fire had a good start they galloped off north, toward the Ft. Ridgely road.
CUT OFF FROM THE TOWN.
About the same time we could hear some lively shooting going on in New Ulm. A few of our Lafayette men went to Captain Huey and told him that we feared New Ulm was attacked by the redskins, and we thought it advisable to return to New Ulm, as we had our families there. But the captain did not think so. He said most likely some men who had been on guard last night discharged to clear their guns and there was no danger. After a while the captain
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admitted that New Ulm was attacked, and gave command to return to New Ulm. When we came to the bluff on Henry Mueller's place, his house was on fire, but no Indians were to be seen. We then marched toward town. As we came near the ferry the Indians from all directions came to the ferry on the New Ulm side to meet us. A great many Indians took possession of the Globe Mills. They opened a lively fire toward us, but without any effect at the time. It was a flat, level place, without any protection or shelter where they came to a stand, so it might become dangerous, and the air was filled with bullets. As we were acquainted there, we told the captain to take possession of a timber lot nearby, which he thought was a good idea, and he called the men up and told them about it. The timber lot was along the river bank, on the right side of the road to the ferry. On the left side and surrounding there was a flat meadow and no trees. We took the road to the ferry, Cap- tain Huey in front, and the rest of the men followed. As we came near the ferry on the river bank, we turned to the right in the timber grove. There were trees three or four feet in diameter, which no Indian bullet could get through. When we took the read toward the ferry the Indians ceased firing. Probably they expected us to enter the ferry boat; then they would have killed the most of us. We surprised them. Now fire was opened on both sides, and we heard the bullets rattle in the trees as thick as hail. One man from St. Peter by the name of Summers, who wore a white shirt, was shot through the lower body, and was severely wounded. A few other men were slightly wounded, and that is all we had to suffer there. After fighting there for some time the command came to leave the place and go to St. Peter. The
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reason why, we could not find out. Some of the St. Peter men had the idea the Indians might attack St. Peter, and they had better start for that place. This was a hard blow for us Lafayette men, but as we were only about ten men we had to follow. It was almost unbearable to have our families in New Ulm, and we were only about six or eight blocks from them and yet could not protect them. Of course we had the river between us, and the ferry rope was cut off. H. H. Beussman and I considered different plans, but could not do anything. Our ammunition was nearly used up and we had not a bite to eat all day; we were tired and exhausted, as for nearly a week we had hardly any sleep at all and scarcely enough to eat. We followed the procession because we had to. When we came on top of the hill on the Nicollet county side we could overlook New Ulm. We saw nothing but fire and smoke, and heard no end of shooting and firing guns. And our families and relatives and dear ones were all imprisoned there. Well, we thought that is the last of them. We will never see them again, not even the ashes. We were not a half mile from our fighting ground, when both mills-the Eagle and Globe-were on fire; also the houses in that part of town-all went up in smoke. We would ten times sooner have faced bullets of the enemies than to see our families and friends surrounded by fire and smoke and savage Indians, and not be able to help them.
We marched toward St. Peter, and when we came to Nicollet creek we met Capt. E. St. Julien Cox and a com- pany of about one hundred men, fairly well armed, headed to New Ulm. We Lafayette men turned right round and joined Cox's men and were ready to go to New Ulm. As we felt quite hungry we helped ourselves to Captain Cox's
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provisions. We asked Cox to go right on to New Ulm, as help was needed there. All his men were ready to go, but as night came on he ordered us to camp at the old Joel Ken- nedy place, about fourteen miles from New Ulm. During the night we could see the fire in New Ulm, and we feared the last houses were burning. The next morning we marched to New Ulm, and reached there about noon. At Redstone the ferry rope was cut and the ferry was on the other side. But soon the ferry was in order and the cross- ing began. When the first men came to the other side they found an Indian pony with saddle and bridle on. They brought the pony across the river and Captain Cox mounted it. He rode that pony into New Ulm and was proud of it. At New Ulm we learned that the Indians made their last attack that morning and had quit fighting before we came. About five blocks were left standing in the center of the town. We were happy to find our families all alive, as the Indians did not get a chance to murder women and chil- dren. But there was great suffering with some of them. They had been confined in the houses day and night. I do not recollect the number of men killed and wounded during the fight, but many a friend was missing. Provisions and ammunition were getting scarce in New Ulm, so it was decided to move the families to St. Peter. It took us two days, via Mankato, to reach that town, and we used mostly ox-teams. It was reported that General Sibley with a regi- ment of soldiers had marched to Ft. Ridgely and more troops were following, and it was thought that the Indians could be driven away. We farmers, therefore, returned to our farms, and left the families in St. Peter. A small band of Indians made their appearance at Cottonwood and
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Cambria, and killed a few more men. But they were driven away instantly, as everybody was armed and no mercy was allowed.
ESTABLISHMENT OF FT. RIDGELY.
Ft. Ridgely was a noted United States military post, in Ridgely township, Nicollet county, established by the gov- ernment in 1853 as a protection for the frontier against the Indians. With the establishment of the lower Indian agency in the summer of 1853 the establishing of this post became a necessity. The concentration of so many bands of Indians upon so small an area rendered the situation important and worthy of attention. A military post was necessary to preserve order among the savages and remind them that the "Great Father" was keeping watch over them, ready to protect and encourage the good and to re- press and punish the bad. There were to be two Indian agencies on the reservation. The Upper Agency for the Sissetons and Wahpatons, established at the mouth of the Yellow Medicine and the Lower Agency, for the Medawan- ton and Wahpekoota bands, was placed at about six miles east of the mouth of Redwood river. Both agencies were on the south bank of the Minnesota river.
The matter of a new military post was called to the at- tention of C. M. Conrad, then secretary of war, and Gen. Winfield Scott, commander of the regular army, by dele- gate Henry M. Sibley. General Scott concurred in Sibley's recommendations, the secretary of war approved it and is- sued necessary orders. In the autumn of 1852, Capt. Na- poleon Jackson Tecumseh Dana, of the quartermaster's de-
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partment and Col. Thomas Lee, then in command at Ft. Snelling, were ordered to select a site for the new fort-"on the St. Peter river (now Minnesota) above the mouth of the Blue Earth."
In the latter part of November, with an escort of dra- goons from Ft. Snelling, and after a three days' march in the snow, the officers reached La Framboise's trading post, at the Little Rock. Five miles above the rock on the crest of the high bluffs, on the south side of the Minnesota river, the site was fixed. The new post was named "Ridgely" in honor of Maj. Randolph Ridgely, a gallant officer of the regular army from Maryland, who died of injuries received at the battle of Monterey, Mexico. When Ft. Ridgely was establishment, Ft. Riley, Kansas, was ordered built. At the same time, Ft. Dodge, Iowa, and Ft. Scott, Kansas, were ordered discontinued and broken up. Ft. Ridgely took the place of Ft. Dodge, and Ft. Riley was substituted for Ft. Scott.
The first garrison at Ft. Ridgely was composed of Com- pany C and Company K, of the Sixth United States Infan- try, and the first commander ws Capt. James Monroe, of Company K. Companies C and K went up on the steam- boat "West Newton" from Ft. Snelling, but later were joined by Company E which marched across the country from Ft. Dodge, Iowa, and arrived on June 11, 1853, when work on the buildings was begun. When Company E ar- rived, its captain, Brevet-Major Samuel Woods, previously well identified with Minnesota history, took command, by virtue of his rank. The work of construction was in charge of Captain Dana.
This fort was a noted post during the Indian outbreak
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of 1862. Since 1868 the fort has not been occupied and the buildings have been allowed to go to utter decay. It was closely connected with the Indian wars of Minnesota and Dakota. All that remains of any interest now is the ceme- tery, in which are situated two monuments-one to the honor of Captain Marsh and the brave men of his com- mand; the other dedicated to Mrs. Dr. Eliza Mueller, who devoted herself to the care of the wounded at the time of the Sioux outbreak. A railroad was once projected from the south, known as the Ft. Dodge & Ft. Ridgely, which was to pass through this section, but a survey turned its course to that of the present Minneapolis & St. Louis.
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